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Crunchyroll to Stream Shabake Anime
posted on by Joanna Cayanan
Crunchyroll announced on Saturday that it will stream the anime of Megumi Hatakenaka's Shabake historical fantasy novel series on October 3 in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, CIS, and Indian subcontinent. Crunchyroll also started streaming the anime's English-subtitled trailer video.
Crunchyroll describes the anime's story:
Ichitaro, the young master of Nagasakiya, one of the top commercial stores in Japan during the Edo period, was born with a weak constitution that leaves him unable to go out much. He is always surrounded by his spirit companions, including a Hakutaku and an Inugami, who protect him. One night, Ichitaro steps outside and witnesses a murder, and from that day onward, bizarre murder cases keep happening all over Edo. So with the help of the spirits, Ichitaro's hunt for the culprit begins!

The anime stars:
- Daiki Yamashita as Ichitarō
- Kōji Okino as Nikichi
- Taku Yashiro as Sasuke
- Daisuke Namikawa as Nozoki Byōbu
- Seiichirō Yamashita as Matsunosuke
- Shimba Tsuchiya as Eikichi
- Shion Wakayama as Oharu
- Akira Sekine as Suzuhiko-hime
- Shinya Takahashi as Noderabō
- Misako Tomioka as Kawauso
- Akane Matsunaga as Yanari
- Aika Wakuno as Yanari
- Takako Tanaka as Yanari
Takahiro Ōkawa (unit director for Hula Fulla Dance, Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari both seasons) is directing the anime at BN Pictures. Tōko Machida (Lucky Star, Smile Down the Runway) is overseeing the series scripts, Akari Minagawa (The Perfect Prince Loves Me, the Side Character?!) is designing the characters and is also the chief animation director along with Yuka Shiga, and Rei Ishizuka (Ayakashi Triangle, The Orbital Children) is composing the music. Kujira performs the opening theme song "Inochi no Parade" (Parade of Life), and KAFUNÉ performs the ending theme song "Myaku-Myaku" (Continuous).
The first novel in the series debuted in 2001, with numerous sequel novels since then. The series has also inspired two live-action television series, manga, radio plays, stage plays, stage musicals, and picture books. A net anime adaptation of the novels streamed in July 2021. The net anime had a different cast and staff from this upcoming adaptation.
The novels have more than 10 million copies in circulation.
Hatakenaka's We Rent Tsukumogami (Tsukumogami Kashimasu) novels inspired a television anime in July 2018.
Source: Crunchyroll (Kyle Cardine)